Cheer Him Up
by TalysAlankil
Summary: Nico's a nurse with a little bit of a crush on Doctor Solace, but so far all their interactions were cheer-up coffees. — Written for the solangelo anthology (solangeloanthology on tumblr), continued by request and as part of Solangelo Week.
1. Cheer Him Up

Nico was pretty sure Doctor Solace didn't even know his name. But that didn't really matter to him. What mattered was when they passed each other in the hallways and the doctor nodded at Nico. Even if his face was grim, he broke into a smile when he saw Nico. It was nothing, really—just a small, pleasant smile, more polite than warm. But it was an acknowledgment that Solace recognized him.

It had all started on sort of an accident, really. They had both been working on the same surgery—Nico as a nurse, still an intern at the time, and Solace as the freshly-graduated surgeon—and it had gone wrong. The others had tried to tell Solace it was all okay, that there was nothing he could have done to save his patient.

Nico wasn't good with words, but he had been right behind Solace in line at the Starbucks that morning, and he'd remembered his coffee order—a vanilla frappuccino with extra cinnamon, outlandish enough of a combination to mark Nico's memory. He'd slipped away, and come back with a cup, setting it on the table in front of Solace, then leaving without a word.

From there, it had become a tradition of sorts. Whenever Doctor Solace's patients received bad news or died, Nico brought him coffee. And soon, not even just that. Nico picked up on Solace's off days or sad moments and brought him coffee then, too.

A few of his colleagues had called him out for being a stalker, though Nico couldn't agree. Just because Solace was a big ball of sunshine most of the time didn't mean he didn't need cheering up from time to time, and Nico was happy to provide, since he was the only one who seemed to notice.

And Solace had noticed back. Though Nico was still pretty sure that, two years later and with Nico a full-time employee now, the doctor still didn't know his name. That didn't really matter, though—he wasn't doing this for any sort of reward. Not that it stopped Nico from fantasizing he would get one. But he didn't _expect_ anything.

So when Doctor Solace actually _talked_ to him, it was a shock.

It was painfully late at night—or early in the morning, depending how you looked at it—and Nico was covering for Piper's shift, who had begged him to take her place so she could go on a date. Things were mercifully slow in the emergency room: a couple flesh wounds that looked too serious due to intense bleeding; one guy who had eaten something he was allergic to because he didn't want to insult his date, but had been handled fast enough that he was out of any real danger; and the usual clumsy people who got all sorts of torn muscles or ligaments and a couple fractures.

Things were going well, so when Nico went to the break room to rest his legs for a minute, he was surprised to find Doctor Solace slumped in a chair in a corner, looking down and pretending to be absorbed in the contemplation of his own nails. Nico knew that look, and before he could really think about it, he made a beeline to the Starbucks in the hospital lobby. Five minutes later, he was back with a hot cup, and laid it in front of Solace.

The doctor looked up at him, attempting a half-smile. "Thanks," he said.

That alone was surprising enough—Solace never thanked him, at least not verbally. Nico had gotten nods, smiles, a couple winks, a tap on the shoulder once, but never a 'thanks'. "You're welcome," he stuttered, stepping away already.

"Hang on—Nico, is that it?"

Nico froze. Solace knew his name? When had _that_ happened? "Yes, Doctor Solace."

"Just Will, please." He chuckled. "Could you—would you like to sit with me?"

"S-sure." Nico walked back to Solace—Will—sitting down on the chair next to his. "What is it?"

Will didn't speak immediately, taking a sip from the cup Nico had brought him. "You always bring me these when I'm down," he said. "Why do you do that?"

Nico shrugged. "Cheer you up. I'd do it for anyone."

"But you don't. I noticed."

Had he? Nico gulped, suddenly nervous. "No one else needs it. When the other doctors are down—which happens a lot more often than to you—there's always someone to talk to them. With you, people apparently think the only thing they can see is 'get over it'. If they say anything at all."

A frown briefly passed on Will's features. "But why don't you ever speak to me, then?"

Nico managed an almost convincingly casual shrug. "I don't want to impose. We're not really friends."

"Do you want us to be?" Will chuckled immediately after asking. "Sorry, that was awkward. But—well, do you?"

"Yes." The word fell out of Nico's word unbidden, breathlessly. "I mean—I'd like to get to know you."

Will smiled—a warm smile, unlike those Nico had seen before. "Good. And—how about a date? I could buy _you_ coffee for a change."

Nico gaped at him, blindsided by his sudden change, and Will took his surprise the wrong way.

"Or—not. We can still be friends if you're not interested."

"No, I—I'd like that. A date, I mean." He chuckled, embarrassed at his own babbling. "Not coffee though. I don't drink coffee. It's not really good for you, you know."

Will laughed. "Yeah, I know."

"But we can still go out after our shifts end, if you want. I know a place that makes great breakfasts— _and_ you'll get your coffee."

"Sounds like a date." Will smiled again, then he got up. "Well, I should probably go. See you later?"

Nico couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah." Will was already leaving, but Nico called out after him. "Wait, if I may—what was the matter? Earlier, I mean?"

Will chuckled, blushing visibly. "It's kind of embarrassing. Tell you what: ask me again on our date. That way we have an easy conversation opener."

He winked, and left Nico alone in the break room, heart pounding and a silly smile on his face.


	2. A Sunny Disposition

"Well? Lead the way."

The sound of Will's voice startled Nico as it came from behind him. He'd barely arrived in the hospital lobby, freshly changed out of his scrubs. When he'd seen the place empty, dimly lit as day was barely breaking outside but the lighting had already been turned off—savings measures—he'd almost assumed Will had forgotten about their date. Maybe Nico had dreamed their whole exchange—anything was possible during a late shift.

But there he was, a faint grin on his lips. He had also changed into worn jeans and a baggy t-shirt—nothing fancy, but Nico could sympathize with the need for comfortable clothes after a shift. "You said you knew a place? Or—maybe we could do this some other time. You look like you could use some sleep."

"I'll be fine," Nico lied. "How do _you_ manage the sunny disposition after a night shift?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know. It gets better once it's day. I guess my body just decides it's too late to go sleep anyway, so it might as well wait." Nico narrowed his eyes, dubious, causing Will to chuckle. "I'm serious. It's a mixed blessing—I can't even sleep in most days."

"Sorry, but I'm gonna _have_ to hate you then," Nico said, though he smiled.

"That might be an issue. Should we cancel the date?"

"It's the second time you ask. Are you sure you want to go at all?" The words were out before Nico could really think them through. Apparently sleeplessness pushed his insecurities to the surface.

Will gaped at him, mortified. "No, of course not! I—I've been trying to find a way to ask you out for a while now. No way I'm passing up on the chance now!"

Nico blinked a few times, wondering if he'd dreamed _that_ too. "You have?"

"Well—" Will's face was quickly turning red, and he shifted on his feet. "We really should be going. I need a coffee before I make an even bigger fool of myself."

"I don't think you're making a fool of yourself," Nico couldn't help but say, smiling again as he turned back towards the entrance door. "Come on, it's just a couple blocks away."

"I figured, yeah," Will said, catching up to Nico in a few strides—the height difference probably helped there.

Nico frowned at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's…what's the name again? _Jackson's_? The café?"

"You know the place?"

"Not really. It's on my way to here from home, though. I've seen you there a few times when I was walking by." He smirked at Nico. "Guess I should be honored you're including me in your traditions so early in our relationship."

"We don't really have a relationship yet," Nico retorted—perhaps a little too quickly.

" _Yet_ ," Will repeated in a triumphant tone.

"I didn't think you'd be so pushy," Nico deadpanned. "Or so badly-dressed." Stupid crush and stupid romanticized expectations.

"Hey! It's comfy!" Will sounded more offended about the clothes than the 'pushy' comment. "I kind of asked you out in a spur of the moment, in case you'd already forgotten. I didn't plan the outfit _ahead_. Guess we'll have to have a second date so you can see me at the top of my game."

"Is that your game? Lower people's expectations as much as possible on the first date and dazzle them on the second? Does that actually work?"

Will paused, making an exaggerated, thoughtful pout. "Isn't it working right now?"

Nico couldn't help but chuckle at Will's antics. "We'll see."

"Besides," Will added, undeterred by Nico's elusive answer, "if I don't meet your expectation, it means you've _thought_ about this before. Right?"

Nico was saved from having to answer. "Here we are." He glanced inside through the bay window, glad to see Percy wasn't there. The barista—and the owner's son—was an old friend of his, but he didn't trust Percy to be around for his first date with Will. Or possibly _any_ date.

They found a table, and the waitress in charge that morning, Rachel, took their order for breakfast—and was unable to hide a hint of surprise at Will's coffee order—before they were alone again. There was a moment of silence, until Nico broke it. "So how'd you know about me?"

Will stared at him pointedly. "How could I _not_ notice the guy who keeps giving me my coffee even though we've never exchanged a word?"

"I mean how did you know my name? And that I was gay?"

"I think…Piper told me your name? And I didn't know you were gay until I asked you out, actually. Lucky guess."

Nico huffed out an amused breath. "I wish I could just ask people out without knowing for sure they won't freak out."

Will shrugged. "I guess I'm kind of glad you can't."

"What?"

"Because if you could, I'm sure you'd already have a boyfriend and I wouldn't have had my chance with you."

"Isn't it a little too early in our relationship to say things like that?" Still, Nico felt himself blushing at the comment.

"Ha! So we _do_ have a relationship now!"

Nico chuckled, which prompted Will to laugh out loud. They were still laughing like sleep-deprived idiots when Rachel came back with the assortment of pastries they'd ordered and Will's coffee. She cast Nico an amused glance, smiling. Part of him felt mortified—and certain that he'd hear from Percy very soon—but he couldn't bring himself to care. Surely this was a sign things were going well, right?

Rachel's arrival had calmed them down, but Will's eyes were still a little shiny as he stared at Nico. "I'm surprised you haven't asked me yet."

"Asked you?"

"What was wrong earlier."

Nico felt his own smile fade a little. "Do you _want_ to talk about it?"

"I—" Will paused, breathing deeply. "I don't know. It's not something I've mentioned to anyone. I think I'd like to talk about it."

That sounded like intense material for a first date in the early morning, but Nico nodded. "All right. What was it?"

"It's—that patient we had, the girl who fell down? She had head trauma, and a few stitches?" Nico nodded: he'd helped Will stitch her up, shortly before he'd noticed Will was suddenly down. "Her little brother was the one who found her and called an ambulance. And—it reminded me of my brother, Michael."

Will fell silent, and after a moment, Nico asked, "What happened?"

"The same thing that happened to her. He knocked himself out, and there was internal bleeding. Nothing too severe, it would have been treatable if someone had been around to call for help. But our parents weren't home, and I'd sneaked out." He paused. "I wasn't there, even though I should have."

Nico could guess what had happened. "I don't think you should blame yourself." The words came almost automatically, spurred on by Will's bitterness.

"I—I don't, not really. Not most of the time, anyway. It's just—when I see cases like this girl, I remember that night."

"When was it?" Nico felt silly to ask—as if it mattered how long ago it had happened.

"Eight years, now. I was still in high school—it's actually why I went into med school." He scoffed. "Sorry—I just ruined the mood with old stuff."

"No, it's—it's fine. You have every right to be upset about it. I'm glad you told me."

"You're too nice. Then again, I already knew that, what with the coffees and all." Will chuckled. "I guess I really _am_ setting the bar low with this first date."

"I'm sure it can still be improved. Worst case scenario, you can make up for it next time." Nico made a tentative smile, and was glad to see it returned.

"I am _so_ going to try."


	3. Young And Beautiful

With their hectic schedules combined, it took Will and Nico over a week to find an evening they were both free—and not coming right out of a double shift—for their second date.

Nico arrived a little early, standing out in the street in a suit, and waited for Will to arrive. Will had said that Nico could choose what they'd be doing again, since Will had been the one to "ruin" their first date. Even when Nico had assured him it had been all right, Will had been adamant, and it had taken Nico a few hours of brainstorming to find the perfect idea—and another hour to work up the courage to suggest it to Will.

Nico spotted Will's car from far away—the bright red Maserati was visible, and audible, from a distance—though Nico had no idea it was his at first. It was only when it pulled up right in front of Nico, and Will emerged from it, that Nico realized it.

Will had dressed up, as Nico had recommended him. His suit was a deep, almost electric blue, a few shades darker than his eyes, and it framed his body perfectly—it had to have been tailored to him. Even on the rare occasion when Will wore a suit to work, Nico had never seen him wear anything quite as fetching as this.

"Hey there," Will said, grinning as he walked around the car to join Nico. "You're staring," he added in a lower voice.

Nico shook his head, feeling a blush covering his face already. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I like the way you look at me."

Nico wondered if he should ask what Will meant by that, then decided it would probably be too embarrassing. "So—what's with the car?"

"It was my dad's. Gave it to me when he moved to Europe. I love it, but it's kind of showy."

Nico stared at him, dubious. "And you mind that?"

"Depends," Will retorted, grinning. "I wouldn't go to work with it, but if it's to impress a date…" He made a dramatic pause, raising a suggestive eyebrow. "Is it working?"

"I'm a lot more impressed by how _you_ look than by your stupid car."

His blunt retort had the intended effect: Will let out a soft gasp, as if Nico had knocked the speech out of him, and a blush spread across his cheeks. "Thanks," he managed to say after a moment. "You're not too bad yourself."

"That's your best compliment game? You should probably stay silent and look pretty," Nico teased.

"Would you like it better if I improvised poetry about your beauty?"

Nico wondered if Will was serious; but he decided he didn't want to find out. "Let's just go inside."

There was a sparkle in Will's eye, as if he was holding himself back from laughing out loud, but he nodded. "Yes, sir!" He took a step forward, and offered Nico his arm, like they were going to some kind of old-fashioned ball.

Nico let out an exaggerated sigh. "You know, it's just a jazz club. That's not necessary." Will remained silent, only gazing at Nico with an ever-growing smile. In the end, Nico hooked his arm with Will, and they went together to the club's entrance.

"Why a jazz club, by the way?" Will asked as they walked across the club's lobby.

"Well, it's not so loud that you can't talk, so I thought that'd be good for a date. And I like jazz music." Bianca had once joked that she and Nico that they liked the music so much, they should have been born in the jazz age.

The memory made him nostalgic for a brief moment, but before he could dwell on it, they were in the club proper, and Will was already leading them towards the dance floor.

"Do you even know _how_ to dance to jazz?" Nico asked him, suddenly nervous at the realization that _this was it, this was happening_.

"Nope," Will confessed, shrugging. "Music runs in the family, though. I'm no good with an instrument, and barely tolerable a singer, but I got all the dancing genes. I'm sure I'll learn. Just take the lead."

Nico stood frozen for a moment, surprised by how casually Will would let him take the lead. In his (admittedly limited) past experience, Nico had always had to struggle a little for anything that looked like dominance with his partners. And now, here was Will, an expectant glimmer in his eyes, his hand already in Nico's, nodding almost imperceptibly in time with the song. Completely open to be led. The prospect was almost frightening.

Taking a deep breath, Nico smiled. "All right. This is swing dancing—pretty simple, you'll see."

"I told you, you don't have to keep it easy for me."

He wasn't lying—unless he'd also lied about never swing dancing before. Will got the basic steps down by the end of the first song, and while Nico doubted they could perform any of acrobatics like some of the couples around them. Even as the tempo hastened, Will followed Nico's lead without missing a beat, until Nico caved in and declared he needed to sit down for a moment.

They found a small table on a corner, away from the dance floors and the speakers, and Will went to fetch them drinks. As he made his way to the bar, Nico couldn't help but stare after him; even though they weren't dancing anymore, every step he took was still in rhythm with the music, Nico noticed. He was still smiling about it when Will returned, who raised a questioning eyebrow as he sat down with their glasses—Will's, Nico noticed, was filled with soda.

"Were you checking me out?"

Nico shook his head, suddenly torn out of his contemplation. "Not exactly. It's just—you weren't lying when you said you got the dancing genes."

"You clearly have more experience than I do, though."

"Me and my sister have always had a thing for jazz." Before Will could ask, he shook his head. "And we'll talk about it some other time. Let's try to have a date without any deep conversation on our dark respective histories, shall we?"

Will looked hesitant for a moment, but he smiled and raised his glass. "Cheers to that."

* * *

They talked, and danced, again and again, all throughout the night. Nico hadn't planned to stay out all night, and he doubted Will had either, but every time he'd think about leaving, there was a new topic of conversation, or a new song he just _loved_. Or maybe he didn't want to end this night just yet. Just the prospect of being parted from Will felt disappointing already. It was almost embarrassing.

When they did leave, it was only because the club was closing. Outside, the first lights of morning once again greeted them, but Nico didn't feel tired the way he had during their first date.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Will said. He'd once again linked their arms together to leave the club, and didn't seem to want to let go any more than Nico.

"I don't suppose you'd be up for another breakfast, would you?"

Will remained silent for a moment. "While I wouldn't mind, I'll have to pass on the offer. The first time was a little embarrassing, and I don't want anything to tarnish this night."

Nico nodded silently to the last part. "All right. Home it is."

"Perfect. All according to plan."

Nico frowned at Will as he led them to his car, but he offered no explanation. Instead, he only let Nico guide him—the drive was short, ten minutes at the most—until he pulled up in front of Nico's apartment complex.

To his surprise, Will followed him out of the car and to the two steps leading to the front door, though he didn't climb them. "Well…this is it," Will said. "I had a lot of fun tonight."

Nico smiled down at him. "Me too." Then, in a bout of curiosity, he asked, "So…that plan of yours?"

Will gave a start, blushing. "Right. Well, I'd hoped—" He climbed the first step, putting their eyes almost on the same level, and reached out with one hand, gently cupping Nico's face with it. "I mean, if that's okay with you—"

Nico didn't let him finish: he pulled Will towards him by the lapels of his suit jacket, closing the rest of the distance and kissing him, a little too forcefully at first, then softer, shifting to fit his body close to Will's as he felt Will's arms wrap around his waist.

Their kiss was short, but even after it ended, they remained close to one another, the sound of their breathing the only disturbance to the silence around them.

Will was the first one to step back, almost stumbling. There was a giddy smile on his face—though Nico was pretty sure he had one to match—and his skin was flushed dark. "Well…talk to you soon."

Nico gave a sharp nod, biting his lips. "I can't wait."


	4. Just A Hobby Of Mine

Tonight's date was particularly important, in Nico's mind.

They had been together for six weeks now—after that second date in the jazz club, that label had just come naturally. _Together_. It still made Nico giddy just to think about it. In that time, they'd had more dates, even if it was difficult to find moments with their jobs at the hospital. At least they also saw each other there: even when their shifts didn't match and it was just five minutes between one's arrival and the other leaving, it was worth every millisecond. Will had come to Nico's apartment twice—once because Nico had invited him over, and another because he wanted to surprise Nico with a basket of freshly-baked brownies and had come straight from his home.

But in that time, Nico hadn't seen Will's place yet. He knew Will walked to the hospital, and walked by the _Jackson's_ café on his way there, so that gave him some indication that he lived nearby, but Nico didn't even know _where_ Will lived. Until tonight, that was.

Will had been the one to suggest it, asking Nico in an unusually shy way if he "wouldn't mind" coming over. Nico had accepted, well aware of the privilege he was offered—he'd gathered that Will was uncomfortable about letting people come over

It wasn't all that made tonight important, though. It was the first time in two weeks they would have an entire evening together, and nothing planned in the morning either. They had talked about it agreed they were ready to take their relationship further and sleep together for the first time.

That conversation, started by Will, had been more than awkward, but in hindsight, Nico was glad they'd talked it through. It took away some of the spontaneity, sure, but he liked the idea that they had a promise to keep, something to get ready for, to look forward to.

Nico hadn't dressed up for the occasion—at Will's own request. So when he entered the building at the address Will had given him, he felt almost intimidated. It was an apartment building, but the lobby reminded him more of a high-class hotel, complete with a receptionist who eyed Nico curiously.

"May I help you?" she asked, her tone neutral.

Nico hadn't really known what to expect, but this wasn't it. How did one even address a receptionist in an apartment building? What was he supposed to say? "I…guess? I'm—I'm meeting Will Solace?"

Her features changed into a warm smile. "Oh! You must be Nico. He left a note." She waved to her side. "Take the elevator to the right; seventh floor, apartment 7C. I'll call to let him know you're coming up."

"Thanks."

* * *

"You 'left a note'?" Nico teased when Will opened the door. "Do you often talk to your receptionist about your love life?"

Will let out a nervous chuckle. "Nice to see you, too. Is—Was that a problem? I should have told you, I'm sorry, I—"

"It's fine. I was just…caught off guard, I guess."

"Well, I'm sure I can make it up to you, right?" Will's characteristically bright grin was back. "Don't stand there! Come on in! Dinner's almost ready!"

Nico followed him in—and froze almost instantly. "Nice place," he managed to say.

Will's answer came almost shy. "Thanks."

Nico wasn't sure why he was surprised, after seeing the lobby downstairs, but Will's apartment matched the building's high standing. It was all wide spaces, warm colors, designer's furniture—comfortable and expensive. The walls were almost bare, save for a few items hanging on them, all different but all made out of wood: here a mask, there a statuette, a few more abstract or symbolic, and one that looked like a scenery carved in relief.

"If I'd known your apartment was so nice, I'd have felt more embarrassed at taking you home," Nico said, though he kept his tone light.

Will immediately cast him a frightened glance anyway. "No, don't say that! I love your place!" He sighed, deeply. "That's why I wasn't sure I should have you over."

"Hey, it's okay," Nico said, catching Will's hand and stroking it with his thumb. "I'm not going to start feeling bad about myself. I knew when I became a nurse that I'd be working with doctors who earned a lot more than me. It's no big deal." Will's frowned hadn't faded yet, so Nico opted to distract him. "So what's with all the wooden decorations?"

A faint smile broke on Will's face. "I made them."

"What, all of those?"

Will shrugged. "It's just a hobby of mine."

Nico chuckled, and closed the space between them. "A doctor who dances and sculpts. Is there anything you _can't_ do?" he asked, teasing, as he leaned up to kiss Will.

"For your sake, you'd better hope cooking isn't it, because we're having homemade dinner."

* * *

As it turned out, cooking was another one of Will's talents. Not to the same spectacular level as his dancing—or carving, judging by the decoration of his apartment—but still pretty good.

Dinner had made way to talking and video games, but that didn't last very long. There was a tension in the air between them, electrifying Nico's nerves at the slightest contact as they were sprawled on Will's couch.

Eventually, he just paused their game and turned to Will. "Let's just cut to the chase."

Will let out a visible sigh of relief. "God, I thought you'd never ask."

"You could make the first step, you know," Nico said, barely containing a laugh. "We did talk about it already."

"Maybe I like you leading," Will said, raising an eyebrow.

Nico rolled his eyes, but smiled. "So…bedroom?"

"If you can hold on until then." Will paused, grinning. "Come on, it's this way."

Holding on until they were in the bedroom proved more difficult than Nico had expected: everything about the way Will moved, the way he looked at Nico, suddenly seemed to have an enticing connotation. Was he doing this intentionally, or was Nico imagining things? Either way, he was more than happy when they finally reached the bedroom, and he could throw himself at Will, pressing a fierce kiss against his lips just as he pushed him back towards the bed.

Through a feverish tangle of limbs and hands, Nico soon ended up pinning Will down against the mattress, both of their shirts thrown somewhere on the floor, kissing hard and grinding harder. It took a moment for a crucial detail to break through to his lust-addled brain: Will was barely moving himself, barely responding to Nico's touch.

Nico froze almost immediately, propping himself up on his elbows. "Are you all right? Is this not okay? I know I went a little fast there, it's just—"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean—it's all right. You're all right."

Nico pushed himself up, until he was kneeling between Will's legs. "Judging by the look on your face, I don't think that's true."

Will sighed deeply, and he sat up—a noticeable distance away from Nico. "It's not you, it's—the carving thing."

Nico frowned. "Now I'm lost."

"I told you, it's a hobby. It started with me making bows and arrows—well, mostly arrows, first."

"So—you do archery too?" Nico was failing to see how any of this was relevant.

"No. Couldn't fire a single one. They were all for Michael."

"Oh." That was all Nico found to say; he doubted there was anything else he _could_ say.

Will let out a groan of frustration. "I'm so _stupid_. You asked about it, and I ended up thinking of Michael all evening, and—I'm _sorry_. I'm ruining this for us. _Again_."

"Hey." Nico reached out, carefully, cupping Will's face with his hand. "It's all right. I understand."

"Do you?" There was a hint of bitterness in Will's voice, but Nico chose to ignore it. Instead, he just nodded.

"I know how it feels. I lost my sister—Bianca—three years ago."

Will stared at him silently for a moment, and Nico realized his eyes were glistening with tears. "You never said."

Nico shrugged. "Never the right time. When I think of her, I try to think of good memories, not of how she's—not there anymore."

Will sniffled. "I should try that, sometime."

"Until then, I'm here for you."

"Thanks." For a moment, there was no sound in the bedroom but Will's heavy breathing, cut off by a few sobs. "I could use a hug, right now. Is that okay?"

Nico chuckled, and pulled Will into his arms, holding him tight. They were still shirtless, but any thoughts of taking advantage of it were gone by now.

"I kind of killed the mood, didn't I?"

"It's okay," Nico said, cooing in Will's ear. "I don't want our first time to be bad for you. We can always try again some other time. It worked well enough for our second date."

Will hummed softly, nuzzling into Nico's neck. "Is that us? Fail once, do it perfectly the second time?"

"And every other time afterwards. Which is better than doing it perfectly the first time, then failing forever."

"I can get behind that kind of relationship." When he tore himself from Nico's embrace, he looked mostly self-contained again—though Nico wasn't fooled; he doubted Will was over his grief so quickly. "So—I guess tonight isn't going the way we planned, but do you think you could stay the night anyway? I don't think I want to be alone just yet."

"With pleasure," Nico said, smiling.


	5. Anything They Can Do

Their second attempt was not planned in any way, and perhaps that was for the best.

It happened a couple weeks later. Will had insisted on celebrating their second month anniversary by going back to the jazz club where they'd had their second date. Since Nico wasn't working that day (a double shift the day before had taken care of that), Will had suggested they met at his apartment instead of the hospital, so they'd go together.

He'd even given Nico a key, which Nico felt pretty ambivalent about—even though he told himself it was just about practicality, he couldn't help but feel like it was another step in their relationship, one that might be coming a little too fast. Still, Nico had taken it, and he'd come to wait for Will in his apartment, with a suit to change into once Will arrived.

It was only his third time in Will's apartment, and the first time he was alone in it at all. Nico briefly considered snooping around, but he dismissed the thought quickly—if Will was uncomfortable with letting people come over, Nico didn't want to break his trust by invading his private space.

He went to Will's bedroom to hang his suit, and was surprised to find the computer turned on, a game open and playing in full-screen. Some anime girl was on screen in a skimpy outfit, with a few options available, like "talk" and "ask on a date". A dating simulator? That wasn't something Nico had expected Will to be playing.

A message alert was also displayed; curiosity took over, and Nico clicked it, opening a virtual text message with an enclosed picture of another anime girl, half undressed. That was all Nico saw before he heard Will come in from behind him.

"Hey, you're there—oh."

Nico glanced back at Will, and found him standing awkwardly in the doorway, a blush creeping up his face already. Nico couldn't help but chuckle. "That's an interesting game you're playing there," he teased.

"Well—I—" Will's entire face was a bright red now. "It's fun, and—"

His embarrassment was too adorable to resist: Nico walked up to Will, took his hand, and led him towards the computer. "You've gotta show me more," he said, pushing Will onto the chair.

"Look, if this is because they're girls, I told you I'm bi, and it's just a game, and—"

"Hey," Nico said, as he settled into Will's lap. "It's okay, I'm just teasing you."

Will stared at him for a moment, his eyes flittering between Nico's eyes and his lips. "Well, I—"

" _But_ I do have a question," Nico said, leaning in just a little closer. "Does it arouse you? Playing this game?"

"Um." Whether Will was unsure what to say or too flustered to answer, Nico wasn't sure.

"I think _I_ can do it better."

"Ummm—"

Nico inched in a little closer, hovering near Will's lips, pausing just long enough to cup Will's face before he pressed their lips together. He kissed Will slowly, sliding his body against Will's in the same movement and grinding into his lap in a deliberately lazy movement. Nico felt more than heard the whimper that escaped Will's lips, and the shudder that ran down his spine as he caved under Nico's touch, meeting Nico's grinding motion with his own hips.

Will tangled a hand in Nico's hair, and placed the other on the small of Nico's back, gently pressing them closer—because he craved more contact, or because he didn't want Nico to move away, or perhaps both, but Nico took it as encouraging. Nico broke off their kiss to nibble at his jawline, trailing kisses down his neck as he slid his hands under Will's shirt.

He removed the piece of clothing in a swift motion before he resumed kissing over Will's pulse point, sucking and nibbling at the skin until Will let out a low, uncontrolled moan. Only then did Nico consider himself satisfied; he pulled away a little, just enough to gaze into Will's eyes with a triumphant grin.

"So? Who's better?"

Will huffed out a short laugh. "You know it's you. Now shut up and let's go back to that."

The thought briefly crossed Nico's mind to remind Will of their plans for the night—the jazz club, their anniversary date—but then Will was taking Nico's shirt off and pulling him in for a kiss, and Nico's mind blanked out.

* * *

Two hours, a strategic move to Will's nearby bed, half a dozen condoms, and a shower break later, they lay back on the mattress, finally sated—for now.

Nico was on his back, catching his breath, keenly aware of Will's gaze on him. It'd been a while—for both of them—but Nico was glad things had turned out the way they had. He glanced at Will, meeting his eyes, and smiled.

Will returned it, along with a chuckle. "I guess we're lucky I'd prepared everything for the other night."

"I guess we are." He paused. "Are you okay, this time?"

"I'm great," Will said, shifting to press against Nico's side. "I'm more than great. I'm—this is perfect."

"It really is our thing, then," Nico joked. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm glad we didn't go to the jazz club."

"You can't believe it? What, you didn't expect this to be better?"

"Well—" Nico let his voice drift off, laughing at Will's offended expressions. "Okay, yeah, of course I did. On the other hand, I regret that we didn't get to have dinner."

"That can be arranged," Will said, sitting up. "I can't make anything fancy on short notice, but I can definitely—"

Nico caught him by the shoulder and pulled him back down. "No way. We're ordering takeout, and we're going for another round while we wait for delivery."

Will let out a yelp as Nico kissed him roughly, but he didn't protest any further than that.


	6. A Nerd and a Sap

The next day was a day off for both of them—a rare occurrence—and they celebrated it by sleeping in until late in the afternoon, and stayed in bed afterwards, not even bothering with clothes or life in general.

They didn't even have sex—the previous night had had much more than enough of that. Will whipped up a breakfast-slash-lunch combo and brought it on a tray, slipping back under the covers to eat.

This kind of intimacy was a new experience for Nico; none of his previous relationships had been like this. By the way Will stole glances when he thought Nico wasn't looking, Nico had the feeling it was new to Will as well.

When they were done eating, he cuddled up to Will, who wrapped an arm around Nico as he fumbled with one hand to set the tray on the floor. "What do you feel like doing?"

"Mmm. _This_ is nice."

"I'm serious."

"So am I," Nico said, chuckling. "I don't know, we could watch something on your laptop."

"Why on my laptop?"

"So I don't have to move. Also, I'm pretty sure that game's still playing, and I feel like teasing you about it."

He didn't even need to tease Will, as it turned out: Will was already blushing just at the mention of it. "Well—at least this came out of it. It's not _that_ bad."

"Get that laptop, you nerd," Nico said, pushing Will half off the bed.

Will made a small sound of protest, but he complied, hurrying to pick up his laptop and come back to Nico's side. "Anything in particular you want to watch?"

"There's a web series I heard of—the _Lizzie Bennet Diaries_. I thought you might like it."

"Lizzie Bennet? Like in _Pride and Prejudice_?"

"Yes. So?" Nico glanced at him with a raised eyebrows. "Don't pretend you don't like that. You have the book and at least two different movie adaptations on DVD. I saw them."

Will shrugged. "I don't even feel like I have to defend myself. It's a great story."

"You're a sap."

"I thought I was a nerd."

"You're a nerd _and_ a sap. And I love you for it." He saw shock crossing Will's face, but silenced him with a kiss before he could say anything. "Now shush, and play that web series."

Will was smiling, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Nico silently for a moment. Then he nodded, and opened his laptop.

* * *

It took them most of the day to watch all hundred episodes of the series, and Nico had to admit he was hooked on it about as fast as Will was, even if he'd originally thought of it for Will.

What he _hadn't_ expected was the way Will was tearing up by the end of the series.

"Hey, I know it's a cute love story, but there's no need to get _that_ emotional about it," Nico teased gently, pressing a kiss to Will's cheek. "Besides, didn't you know what would happen?"

"It's not that," Will said. "It's—the Bennet sisters."

Nico remained silent for a moment, but he understood. "Michael?"

"I'm sorry, I must sound like a broken record to you."

"You sound to me like someone who never got to mourn his brother properly. There's nothing wrong with that."

"It's been _years_ , Nico. I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with that." He sighed. "I just want to move on. Be better."

"You're not going to move on just because you think you _should_. There's no deadline on moving on from the loss of someone you love."

"No, I know that, I just—I just want to be happy, you know? To be able to appreciate a web series with my boyfriend without ending up feeling terrible about everything."

"Have you ever thought about seeing a therapist?"

"I have. Never got around to doing it, though."

"Maybe you should. If you want to, I mean. No pressure."

Will chuckled. "Stop being so _nice_. I keep ruining our moments and you take it all too well. It's freaking me out."

"You said you want to be happy? _I_ want you to be happy, too." Nico sighed. "I want to _make_ you happy. But it doesn't mean you can't be sad from time to time, and I'm not going to run away when you are. Nor am I going to try and make it go away. I don't want you bottling it all up—it's not healthy. I like that you can talk to me about it."

"How do you do it? With your sister?"

Nico shrugged. "I get sad about it, sometimes, of course. But I learned to enjoy the happy moments that have come since. I guess—I tell myself that since she's gone, I have to live and be happy for the both of us. It helped."

"That's a nice philosophy. Maybe I should steal it from you."

"Please do. And I can teach you."


	7. We Figured It Out

Will had insisted on planning everything for their first year anniversary. He had made a few deals at the hospital to get them both the day off, and it had only gotten better from there.

From the lazy morning—complete with lazy morning sex—to a picnic for lunch, for which Will had made an assortment of Nico's favorite food; from their walk in the park afterwards, to the pause they took at _Jackson's_ , where each of the waiters gave him a different flower, culminating with Percy handing him a box with a wink, in which Nico found a collector's _Mythomagic_ figurine of Hades; from dinner in a fancier restaurant than Nico had ever been to in his whole life to a blindfolded ride in Will's Maserati; Nico was sure this day would never fade from his memory.

Will helped him out of the car and removed the blindfold, revealing his last surprise of the evening: they were standing in front of the _Golden Singer_. _Their_ jazz club—the one they had gotten together at, one year ago. Of course they'd gone back since, but Nico couldn't help but feel like it was the best possible conclusion to this dream of a day.

Will wasn't just taking him out to the club, though, as Nico soon realized. Inside, among the crowd, were the familiar faces of their friends—Piper from the hospital and her boyfriend Jason, Percy and his girlfriend Annabeth, Nico's best friends from school, Reyna, Hazel and Frank, Will's best friend Cecil, all gathered for them.

The evening went by in a blur, talking and dancing—and a fair amount of drinking, too. Percy insisted on dancing with Nico a few times, and got surprisingly better at it the drunker he got, and Will and Nico took turns trying to get Jason to dance too, surprised to see him doing respectably on the dance floor.

But above all, the night was Will and Nico's. Everyone else could have disappeared and Nico would have been fine so long as Will kept dancing with him, talking with him, _being_ with him.

As the night dragged on and closing hour was approaching, Will grabbed Nico's hand and led him to an alcove in the club, where they were more or less isolated. "So how'd you like my surprise?"

"Which one?" Nico teased, grinning from ear to ear. "They were all amazing. Thank you for this unforgettable day, Will."

"It's my pleasure. And hey, I managed to get it right the first time around, this time."

Nico chuckled. "That you did. I guess you made some progress, didn't you?"

"That's true. And it's all thanks to you."

That was a lie, and they both knew it—Will himself was responsible for overcoming his guilt over Michael's death, but if anyone else was to thank for it, it was probably the therapist Will's dad had recommended when Nico had brought up the topic with him. Nico doubted Will would ever truly be over his brother's death, but Nico guessed it was natural to grieve.

"I think—if Michael saw me now, I think he'd be happy for me. And that makes me realize I should be happy, too. That I _am_ happy."

"I know." They'd had that conversation before, of course, but Nico wouldn't grow tired of hearing Will tell him he was happy. Possibly because Nico himself was part of that happiness.

Will chuckled. "I guess this wasn't what you expected when you got me that first coffee, did you?"

Nico snorted at the memory. "Don't remind me. I'm almost embarrassed."

"I always thought it was cute."

"I couldn't even talk to you!"

"We figured it out eventually." Will smiled, a quiet smile, different from his usual, bright grins. "And that's what I wanted to say to you. We figured it out. We got things perfect, even if it took us a few missed tries. You helped me get better—you _did_ —and we make each other happy. And we may have little family left between the two of us, but—"

"There you are!" Percy's voice cut off Will's momentum—he jolted in surprise, turning a bright red as he looked away, visibly embarrassed. "Come on, Nico, they're closing soon and you owe me one last dance!"

Nico glanced at Will, intrigued, but Will just nodded. "Go on. Have fun. We can talk later."

* * *

Nico did have fun—until suddenly it was no longer night but morning, and they had to leave as the club was closing. Will had mostly been silent since Percy's interruption, but he didn't look upset to Nico—if anything, he looked surprised.

Will drove them back to his apartment— _their_ apartment, since Nico had moved in a few months ago. It was only after he closed the door that he spoke once again.

"I love you, Nico." Will said, kissing Nico out of the blue.

"I love you too. But what's going on? Spit it out."

"I—I tried to say something earlier. But then Percy came, and—I realized I was making a mistake anyway. You wouldn't have liked me doing… _that_ …in front of everyone. But now I used most of my speech already, and I don't really know what to do—" He sighed. "Guess I did fuck up _one_ thing today."

Nico chuckled, and kissed him briefly. Whatever Will's trouble was, Nico couldn't help but find his reaction endearing. "Still a pretty good track record, if you ask me. Why don't you just resume where you left off?"

Will stared at him for a moment, thoughtful, then he nodded. "All right. I was—" He cleared his throat. "We may have little family left between us, but—but we found one in each other." He sank on one knee, and it suddenly dawned on Nico what the speech had been for. What he'd meant by Nico not liking him if he did _that_ in public. "At least I hope so."

Nico stared, petrified, as Will took out a box from the breast pocket of his jacket.

"Nico di Angelo…will you marry me?"

He opened the box, revealing the ring inside, but Nico's brain barely registered it. His attention was entirely focused on Will, and before he knew it, he was on his knees as well, taking Will in his arms and holding him tight. "Oh, Will." He kissed Will, feeling himself tear up.

"Is that a yes, then?" Will asked when they parted, out of breath.

"Yes. Yes, a million times yes. Of course I will!"


End file.
